business

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With more and more cases of COVID-19 being confirmed across the nation and more people traveling, the chances of employees at our favorite stores, businesses, and restaurants having the virus are also increasing.

Such was the case this past weekend at The Beacon Bar & Grill in South Lake Tahoe.

An employee showed up for work on Saturday, June 20, and informed management he was running a fever. They immediately sent the employee home. A COVID-19 test taken on Sunday confirmed he was positive for the virus on Tuesday.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Eighty-seven small businesses have taken advantage of a special fund created to help them through COVID-19 related challenges.

The City of South Lake Tahoe put $50,000 into the fund and that was combined with other donations managed by the El Dorado Community Foundation. Other partners include the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce, and many generous local donors.

Businesses in South Lake Tahoe were awarded $65,579.22.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the past 27 years, Frank Kovac has been with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD).

When he landed in South Lake Tahoe Kovac already had spent time teaching at Fairfax High School, Emerson Junior High, James Rutter Middle School, and Paul Revere Middle School, but he found his niche beginning locally at South Tahoe Middle School.

After one year at STMS Kovac took the position as athletics and activities director at South Tahoe High School (STHS), a position he held for five years.

To further meet the needs of U.S. small businesses and non-profits, the U.S. Small Business Administration reopened the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program portal to all eligible applicants experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19 Monday.

If ever there was a time to draw on the healing powers of Lake Tahoe, it’s now. The COVID crisis, complete with loss of life and wide-ranging financial impacts, is being compounded by human struggle and a wellspring of social justice demonstrations that are gripping the nation. One of our core values at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is collaboration -- building collaborative relationships to protect Lake Tahoe. I can tell you that Tahoe's successes have not ever come from reinforcing divisions. The imagined “us vs them" simply creates false divides.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The State of California issued guidelines on Friday for 12 business sectors that can open in some counties on June 12, 2020. Counites that have approved attestations like El Dorado County can open those sectors once they have developed and implemented their safety plans on June 12.

The following is a letter to the El Dorado County CAO, reprinted here at the author's request.

Dear Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton,

As a 40-year company doing vacation rentals in the South Lake Tahoe area including El Dorado County we would like to make a request that we have made to our representative Sue Novasel many times. Before you implement regulations on vacation rentals, analyze the data which you should have been collecting for the last few years.

Such as:

• Where are the problems coming from?

Interested in creating a personal physical challenge goal while also supporting the amazing Lake Tahoe/Truckee Community? Then the Tahoe Together Remote 19-miler June 22 - 28 is just the event for you! You can run, bike, hike, kayak, belay, or a combination of any or all....19 miles at one time in one day or spread it out during the week-long event. This is a remote event...do it wherever you live – in Truckee, in Tahoe, the Bay Area, Reno or Sacramento – if you love Lake Tahoe – from anywhere!

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Valley Fire Protection District didn't have to search far for its new chief to replace the retiring Tim Alameda. Brad Zlendick, who has been in the interim chief role since March 18, is now officially the LVFPD fire chief.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - City Council will hold a special meeting on Thursday, May 28 beginning at 9:00 a.m. to discuss and vote on Emergency Order Number 1, send $100,000 to the Sierra Business Council’s “Resilience Fund Tahoe," the City's reopening plans and an urgency ordinance for relaxation of certain City regulations that may assist local businesses with a successful reopening.

In partnership with Wells Fargo and El Dorado County, the Tahoe Chamber's next Virtual Town Hall will discuss the economic impact of COVID-19 and what a bounce-back could look like. It will be held on Friday, May 29 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

This special Town Hall will feature Christopher Thornberg, a nationally respected economic and revenue forecasting expert and a Founding Partner of Beacon Economics. Dr. Thornberg will provide business owners with a data-driven picture of our economy's future and an opportunity to strategize accordingly.

Discussion Topics Include:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Is your local business reopening after being shut down for several weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic? Let us help get the word out with one free week of advertising!

The first ten businesses to respond will get on the immediate advertising loop and more will be accommodated if space allows. There are Facebook sidebar ads, across-the-top banners and sidebar banner spaces available.

The business needs to provide the artwork and South Tahoe Now will share the good news that you are open!

The Tahoe Chamber has announced the 2020 list of 40 Under 40 honorees. The 40 Under 40 program highlights and honors the South Shore's brightest young community leaders and business professionals’ accomplishments, community involvement, and leadership.

Ambiguity, uncertainty, and contradictions abound in this pandemic. Add time to the list of contradictions swirling around us. Morning and night sometimes seem a week apart. The first month of shelter‐in‐place dripped by for many of us. The second month was gone before we knew it. And now summer is fast approaching. We welcome the season because in ordinary times it can elevate our well‐being, but these are not ordinary times. With most of the attention and intensity now on reopening, the question that hangs in the balance is, are we ready? Is it the right time?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The annual Made in Tahoe festival held during the Memorial Day Weekend at Squaw Valley has moved their event to October, but, to highlight local craftspeople who would normally be there, a virtual weekend event has been created.

Times are hard, especially for the artisan and small business community so organizers have brought together 50 local artisans, businesses, chefs, organizations, and entertainers featuring a wide array of offerings that are made in or inspired by the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee areas.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) has selected a seasoned professional with two decades of experience in California state policy and politics to fill a critical role during unprecedented and uncertain times.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Students in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) show their appreciation daily as the bus drivers deliver daily meals to bus stops and schools around South Lake Tahoe.

From March 18 to May 7, the LTUSD drivers have delivered 26,066 meals at their stops, Monday through Friday. The meals are prepared early each day by staff and sent out on buses to their appointed routes.

Some students recently sent the drivers some "thank you" cards to show their appreciation (see photos above).

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - California Governor Gavin Newsom has given El Dorado County the go-ahead to move fully into Stage 2 of the reopening phases. They joined Butte County to became the first two counties in the state to be allowed to move forward.

While businesses can start to reopen, there is still a statewide ban on nonessential travel. Second-home owners are still asked to respect that order and come to South Lake Tahoe to check their homes, or quarantine upon arrival. Vacation rentals are still not allowed in this stage.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The May 12 agenda for the South Lake Tahoe City Council is a full one. The 9:00 a.m. virtual meeting will address the second reading of a wireless communication facility ordinance on private property, the first reading of the facilities on public property, a vote on $1,000 fines, reopening plans for City facilities and a hold on public events on City property until large gatherings are permitted.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following is a list of calls the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to April 1 - April 7, 2020. The calls listed COVID can be related to home and business checks due to COVID closures including Vacation Home Rentals and violation of stay-at-home orders. Location Checks are when officers search an area at the listed address.

4/1

Arrests (0)

Calls for Service (44)
Battery: 1000 Block of River Dr
Citizen's Assist: Tanglewood Dr
City Ordinance Other: 2400 Block of Fountain Av
Civil Problem: 900 Block of South Shore Dr

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Many South Lake Tahoe businesses will be able to open soon, but not until they have plans in place that comply with the State’s COVID-19 guidelines and the State approves and publishes the public health director's signed Variance Attestation and supporting documents.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has unveiled his plan for the state to reopen under phase one starting May 9, 2020. Outdoor malls, restaurants, hair salons, and barber shops are among those able to reopen with new standards for safety.

"We must stay safe so we can stay open," said Sisolak of the ability to move into phase 2 by the end of May, or sooner.

"The beginning of the reopening of our economy is not the end of the coronavirus," said Sisolak during a press conference Thursday afternoon. "It's still with us, as strong as ever. It will not go away until there's a vaccine."

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As of the City Council's special meeting Wednesday morning, the new South Lake Tahoe City Manager was on the job for 48 hours after being sworn in during a digital event that started off the week.

Tahoe Youth & Family Services 3rd annual 5K Run, Jog, Walk during Carson Valley Days scheduled for Saturday June 13, 2020 has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a time and with a route to be determined.